Process Introduction Of Tungsten-copper Alloy
Mar 16, 2026| The process for preparing tungsten-copper alloys using powder metallurgy is as follows: powder preparation – batching and mixing – pressing and molding – sintering and infiltration – cold working.
After pressing and molding, tungsten-copper or molybdenum-copper mixed powders are sintered in the liquid phase at 1300-1500°C. Materials prepared by this method have poor homogeneity and many closed voids, with a density typically below 98%. However, by adding a small amount of nickel for activation sintering, mechanical alloying, or oxide reduction to prepare ultrafine or nano-powders, the sintering activity can be improved, thereby increasing the density of tungsten-copper and molybdenum-copper alloys.
Injection Molding Method
The injection molding method produces high-density tungsten alloys. The manufacturing method involves mixing nickel powder, copper-tungsten powder, or iron powder with a uniform particle size of 1-5 micrometers with tungsten powder with a particle size of 0.5-2 micrometers and tungsten powder with a particle size of 5-15 micrometers. Then, 25%-30% of an organic binder (such as paraffin wax or polymethyl methacrylate) is added, and the mixture is molded. The binder is removed by steam cleaning and irradiation, and the mixture is sintered in hydrogen to obtain a high-density tungsten alloy.
Copper Oxide Powder Method
Copper oxide powder (mixed and ground to reduce to copper) is used instead of metallic copper powder. Copper forms a continuous matrix in the sintered compact, while tungsten acts as a reinforcing framework. The high-expansion component is constrained by the surrounding secondary component. The powder is sintered in moist hydrogen at a lower temperature. It is reported that using very fine powder can improve sintering performance and densification, achieving a density of over 99%.
Tungsten and Molybdenum Skeleton Melting Method
Tungsten or molybdenum powder is first pressed into shape and sintered to form a tungsten or molybdenum skeleton with a certain porosity. Then, copper is melt-infiltrated into it. This method is applicable to tungsten copper and molybdenum copper products with low copper content. Compared with tungsten copper, molybdenum copper has advantages such as smaller weight, easier processing, and comparable coefficient of linear expansion, thermal conductivity, and some key mechanical properties.